The Countdown is On.......Bye Bye Alberta....Hello Ontario

So I just got back from the post office. I went there to pay my $36 so Canada Post can connect our Edmonton address to our new Oakville address. It was a weird experience:kinda sad &kinda exciting all in one. It made it seem so final to be doing that. I finally broke down today and filled one box with my clothes, hey it is a start right. I have three weeks and I know they will fly by.

There are so many things I will miss here and a few I won't- like the ENDLESS winter weather(yes we were treated to ANOTHER snow fall last night)gotta love waking up to that. I am not one to converse about the weather, I have always felt it is a rather shallow topic and doesn't say too much for your conversation skills, so forgive me for just saying that this winter has really sucked!!!!!As I say that, I am reminded of my little 3 year old shadow saying to me this morning in the midst of my grumbling about the snow( while we were walking to the van on the way to her school)

"mom the snow is beautiful" as she ran in circles fascinated with her boot tracks. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying" no it sucks Maci" I just thought it instead.

I will miss my friends, some of them I have met through our ward, others I have met from previous wards, work, and just from the community.

I will miss my SPA LADY only 3 blocks from home.

I will miss my work- to all my crisis staff in the "pit"- I will miss those late late - like 3 am chats as we do the night shift," holding down the province", some crazy stuff was said in those wee hours of the morn. not to mention some crazy calls from intoxicated individuals and so on...

I will miss the beautiful Edmonton summers (even thought they are only like 6 weeks long).

I will not miss it getting dark at 11 pm though- very hard to convince a child it is bed time when kids are running all over outside and it looks like noon at 8 pm.

I will miss being able to drive home to southern Alberta in 5 hours.

On the other hand........

I am excited to be done the "school "phase of our life

I am excited to live in a real house

I am excited to meet new friends.

I am excited to be so close to Toronto but not actually have to live in it.

I am excited to like close to my mom and Joe and be within a days drive of all of my siblings.

I am excited to be in a humid place where my hands won't crack all the time.

I am excited to shop, there is some sweet shopping out east.

I am excited for my kids to be exposed to and learn about many different ethnic groups and cultures.

Those are just a few of my thoughts running through my mind tonight.............Well I am off to read my latest Jodi Picoult book while eating a bowl of key lime sherbet and then off to bed